Milan - An Initiative for Social Integration

A few likeminded group of professionals have started an Initiative towards "social integration" called Milan. Under Milan, we target the impressionable minds within the age group of 9-14 yrs and plan to lessen the social distance between mainstream children and the not-so-privileged ones. This we have been trying to do by conducting weekend workshops where we try and include team-building activities, games that instigate logical reaonsing and eventually we do hope to set their minds ticking the right way.

We are always on the lookout for suggestions.

Swetha

What's wrong being a Hindu?

What's wrong being a Hindu?

Yes! The first thing any Hindu who is going to read this would comment - "Nothing Wrong" or "Not again!" worse "Why this religion rigamarole?" And that's where our problem lies. We (Hindu's) have started becoming escapist, and we do have the media to be blamed a little for this. Under the onslaught of the global glare, we are confused, scared of being called religious fanatics & in the end are getting apologetic for being associated with Hindusim.

Why? While we appreciate the west embracing Yoga, Reiki, Ayurveda etc, what makes us cringe when asked about why we worship the Monkey (Hanuman) or an Elephant (Ganesha)? Instead why can't we explain what this connotates? - Ganesha being the Mooladhara, and Hanuman the "Agneya Chakra", the two endocrine fields of energy distribution in the body.These Gods were designed /invented for the layperson to better appreciate life forms. Ganesha symbolizes the "Aum", as his body mirrors the very shape of Aum and actually personifies the cosmos as a whole.

Should'nt we be proud of our culture that asks us to respect life right from that in a small fish to that of a might lion through the "Dashavatar", rather than getting on to our dining tables?

Why are'nt we assertive of our culture, which has probably contributed the most to the world today through its veda's and epics? How are we able to tolerate being ridiculed? ...........

What I think...

Religion has become a major facade providing room for man to fight. More often than not it cloaks other ambitions of territorial gains, material gains or sometimes simply a psychological gain. It even manages to blind otherwise rational thinking people.

What it was meant to be..

With the advent of the Internet, it has become increasingly easy to debate, express views quite frankly, extract opinions, with nothing at stake but our own world view.

Yesterday Forums, Message boards, Groups, Networks, Discussion Boards meant meeting a wide cross section of people [not necessarily likeminded], meant exchange of views with no attempt to condemn other's view, no distasteful language. Today the message boards & groups have turned to blame boards while discussions have reduced to an intellectual excercise in mechanical futility.

While I do appreciate free speech arguments, harangues only prove that all of us are quite bound in our own ignorance and try justification in the name of a country/religion/politics. Most of the discussion forums are open doors for circular argumentation, which fails to distinguish emotion from discussion leading to programmatic degeneracy.

Is all we can do is look on with resigned understanding?

Adoption does'nt label you a wimp!

Agreed the concept of adoption is being accepted and well on the rise in India. But even today, why is it just limited to couples who face infertility issues or singles?. Why are'nt more families taking to adopting children?. No denying that the stigma of adoption still exists. Even today I can occasionally hear whispers among my colleagues & friends singling out a person as "adopted" as though that ought to make a difference, bring about a change in opinion. Any behavioral pecularity or problems otehr wise innocuous is instantly attributed, with a meaningful nod, to the fact that he/she was adopted.Why? >>> more soon.